{"id":"C1956A00078","name":"Supplementary Appropriation (Works and Services) Act 1955-56","slug":"supplementary-appropriation-works-and-services-act-1955-56","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"repealed","isInForce":false,"actNumber":"78 of 1956","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":4856,"registerId":"commonwealth-C1956A00078-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-03-30","status":"Repealed","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Supplementary Appropriation (Works and Services) Act 1955-56","content":"THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.\n\n![](image.002.png)![](image.001.png)SUPPLEMENTARY APPROPRIATION (WORKS AND SERVICES) 1955-56.\n\nNo. 78 of 1956.\n\nAn Act to appropriate a further sum out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the service of the year ended the thirtieth day of June, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-six, for the purposes of Additions, New Works and Other Services involving Capital Expenditure.\n\n\\[Assented to 5th November. 1956.\\]\n\n\\[Date of commencement, 3rd December, 1956.\\]\n\nBE it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, for the purpose of appropriating the grant originated in the House of Representatives, as follows :—\n\nShort title.\n\n1. This Act may be cited as the Supplementary Appropriation (Works and Services) Act 1955-56.\n\nAppropriation of £456,353.\n\n2. The sum of Four hundred and fifty-six thousand three hundred and fifty-three, pounds which has been issued from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the service of the year ended the thirtieth day of June, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-six, shall be deemed to have been appropriated as from the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-five, for the purposes and services expressed in the Schedule to this Act.\n\nTHE\n\nF.6458/56.—Price 5d.\n\nTHE SCHEDULE. Section 2\n\n![](image.003.png)ABSTRACT.\n\n| PART 1.—DEPARTMENTS AND SERVICES-OTHER THAN BUSINESS UNDERTAKINGS AND TERRITORIES OF THE COMMONWEALTH | £132,423 |\n| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------- |\n| 2.—BUSINESS UNDERTAKINGS........................... | 56,383 |\n| 3.—TERRITORIES OF THE COMMONWEALTH............... | 267,547 |\n| TOTAL ADDITIONS, NEW WORKS AND OTHER SERVICES INVOLVING CAPITAL EXPENDITURE | 456,353 |\n\n1955-56.\n\n```html\n

PART I.-DEPARTMENTS AND SERVICES-OTHER THAN BUSINESS UNDERTAKINGS AND TERRITORIES OF THE COMMONWEALTH.

PARLIAMENT.

£

Under Control of Department of Works.

Division No. 1.

1. Buildings, works, fittings and furniture..........................

9,446

DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS.

Under Control of Department of External Affairs.

Division No. 4.

3. Buildings, works, equipment and furniture—Burma..................

2,955

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.

Under Control of Department of Works.

Division No. 12.

1. Commonwealth offices and other buildings—Buildings, works, fittings and furniture

33,678

DEPARTMENT OF WORKS.

Under Control of Department of Works.

Division No. 14.

4. Experimental Building Station—Plant and material..................

39

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.

Under Control of Department of Works.

Division No. 22.

1. Buildings, works, fittings, furniture and purchase of vessels.............

2,889

DEPARTMENT OF TRADE.

Under Control of Department of Trade.

Division No. 24k.

3. Residential buildings, works, equipment and furniture—New Zealand......

969

6. Residential buildings, works, equipment and furniture—Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland

14,280

Total Department of Trade............................

15,249

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.

Under Control of Department of Works.

Division No. 29.

1. Buildings, works, fittings and furniture..........................

4,687

\n```\n\n \n\n1955-56.\n\n```html\n

PART I—DEPARTMENTS AND SERVICES-OTHER THAN BUSINESS UNDERTAKINGS AND TERRITORIES OF THE COMMONWEALTH—continued.

DEPARTMENT OF SHIPPING AND TRANSPORT.

£

Under Control of Department of Shipping and, Transport.

Division No. 30.

£

2. Less amount recoverable from sale of ships—

Read ........................................

898,392

In lieu of......................................

900,000

Dr. 1,608

Under Control of Department of the Interior.

Division No. 31.

1. Acquisition of sites and buildings..............................

3

Total Department of Shipping and Transport..............

1,611

AUSTRALIAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION.

Under Control of Department of the Treasury.

Division No. 45k.

1. Expenditure under the Atomic Energy Act. 1953, (for payment to the credit of the Atomic Energy Trust Account)

61,869

TOTAL PART 1.-D.EPARTMENTS, AND SERVICES OTHER THAN BUSINESS UNDERTAKINGS AND TERRITORIES OF THE COMMONWEALTH

132,423

\n```\n\n![](image.004.png) \n\n1955-56.\n\n```html\n

PART 2.—BUSINE8S UNDERTAKINGS.

POSTMASTER-GENERAL’S DEPARTMENT.

£

Under Control of Department of the Interior.

Division No. 48.

1. Acquisition of sites and buildings..............................

53,968

BROADCASTING SERVICES.

Under Control of Department of the Interior.

Division No. 51.

2. Acquisition of sites and buildings for sound broadcasting studios..........

10,852

4. Less amount provided from Australian Broadcasting Commission reserves...

10,852

Under Control of Department of Works.

..

Division No. 52.

1. Buildings, works, fittings and furniture for technical purposes—Sound broadcasting

2,415

Total Broadcasting Services............................

2,415

TOTAL PART 2.—BUSINESS UNDERTAKINGS...........

56,383

\n```\n\n![](image.005.png)F.6458/56.—2\n\n \n1955–56\n\n```html\n

PART: 3.—TERRITORIES OF THE COMMONWEALTH.

NORTHERN TERRITORY.

£

DEPARTMENT OF TERRITORIES.

Under Control of Department of Works.

Division No. 55.

1. Buildings, works, fittings and furniture..........................

44,871

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.

Under Control of Department of the Interior.

Division .No. 58.

9. Loans for housing........................................

24,000

Under Control of Department of Works.

Division .No. 59.

1. Buildings, fittings and furniture...............................

198,676

Total Australian Capital Territory......................

222,676

TOTAL PART 3.—TERRITORIES OF THE COMMONWEALTH

267,547

TOTAL ADDITIONS, NEW WORKS AND OTHER SERVICES INVOLVING CAPITAL EXPENDITURE

456,353

\n```\n\n![](image.006.png)By Authority: A. J. Arthur, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.5","source":"moonshot-realtime","completionTokens":1446},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains confined to its original purpose: authorizing supplementary capital expenditure for the 1955–56 financial year. It has not expanded beyond this specific appropriation function."},"complexity_factors":["Only 2 operative sections with no conditional logic or exceptions","No interpretation section or defined terms","Straightforward schedule-based allocation of specific pound amounts to departments","Single, clear purpose: retrospective appropriation of capital expenditure"],"plain_english_summary":"This 1956 catch-up appropriation authorizes £456,353 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to validate and legalize capital spending already incurred in 1955–56. It retroactively covers building, construction and equipment costs charged to regular departments, government business undertakings, and territories. \n\nIt matters because Australian law requires parliamentary authorization for Commonwealth spending; this Act tidies the accounts and makes post‑hoc capital outlays constitutionally valid."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Act does not change the legal scope or functions of departments or programmes. It only authorises (deems) the appropriation of an additional capital sum for the 1955–56 year and allocates that sum across specified departments, business undertakings and Territories (see s.2 and the Schedule)."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow statutory purpose: single, specific appropriation for a single financial year (s.2).","Structure is primarily a numerical Schedule listing departments, divisions and line items rather than complex legal rules.","Minor accounting notations in the Schedule (e.g. \"Less amount recoverable\", \"Dr.\") introduce bookkeeping adjustments that require attention by accountants.","Use of historical currency and dated administrative references (pound sterling, 1955–56) requires contextual reading but does not add legal complexity.","Multiple government bodies and territories named in the Schedule increases administrative allocation detail, though not legal ambiguity."],"plain_english_summary":"Mechanically, this Act deems £456,353 issued from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for 1955–56 to have been appropriated (s.2) to finance additions, new works and other capital services listed in the Schedule. It allocates amounts among Commonwealth departments, certain business undertakings (for example, Postmaster‑General and Broadcasting) and Territories (Northern Territory, ACT). Who pays: taxpayers via the Consolidated Revenue Fund; who decides: Parliament by appropriation. The instrument authorises already‑issued spending and specifies numerical allocations without changing departmental functions."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/supplementary-appropriation-works-and-services-act-1955-56","history":"/api/acts/supplementary-appropriation-works-and-services-act-1955-56/history","analysis":"/api/acts/supplementary-appropriation-works-and-services-act-1955-56/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/supplementary-appropriation-works-and-services-act-1955-56/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/supplementary-appropriation-works-and-services-act-1955-56/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/supplementary-appropriation-works-and-services-act-1955-56/documents"}}